A State of Emergency 

   There are many who believe that the Church and all of Christianity is in a state of emergency.  Fewer and fewer people are attending church, and more and more are turning to the evil and wickedness so prevalent in the world today.

   Many ask how we got where we are?  How did the lack of faith in God and the rejection of His truths happen?  I think the problems Christians are facing today are, in large part, our own fault.

   Faith in this country has known great peace and acceptance for many years.  Like anything else that is easy and unchallenged we tend to ignore the signs that indicate problems for the future.  Then, suddenly, we recognize that all has changed, and we can’t understand why.

   Signs like “free love” and all that came with it.  Signs like the increased violence in movies, on television and in video games.  The coarseness and vulgarity in the language, which was unacceptable only a few years ago but is commonplace today.  These things clearly indicated that there were troubles ahead but were essentially ignored.

   Now we are reaping the seeds we have sown.  It’s estimated that no more than 20% of Americans attend church with any regularity.  Our government promotes sinfulness and punishes faith.  Marriage rates have fallen drastically as people choose to simply live together.  Abortion is an abomination before God; it is the sacrifice of the innocent to the god of sexual promiscuity.

   If we are to have any hope of reviving belief in God Christians must begin to stand up for their faith, reject and confront the evil rather than ignore it.  As St. Pope Pius X said, “The greatest obstacle in the apostolate of the Church is the timidity or rather the cowardice of the faithful.”